Occupational Profiles

This group performs some or all of the following duties:
 

• Set up, operate and maintain laboratory equipment
• Conduct and interpret chemical analyses of blood, urine, and cerebrospinal and other body fluids
• Study blood cells and other tissues to determine their relation to various physiological and pathological conditions
• Prepare tissue sections for microscopic examinations using techniques to demonstrate special cellular tissue elements or other characteristics
• Perform and interpret blood group, type and compatibility tests for transfusion purposes
• Validate, document and report test results
• Establish procedures for the analysis of specimens and for medical laboratory experiments
• Conduct quality control assessment of testing techniques
• May supervise and train other medical laboratory technical staff, students and helpers
• May assist pathologists during autopsies.
• Medical laboratory technologists may specialize in areas such as clinical chemistry, clinical microbiology, hematology, histotechnology, transfusion medicine or immunohematology, cytotechnology, cytogenetics and molecular genetics.

• A two- or three-year college program in medical laboratory technology is required and a period of supervised practical training may be required.
• Registration with a regulatory body is required in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
• Certification by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is usually required by employers.
• Combined laboratory and X-ray technicians require completion of a combined laboratory X-ray technology program.
• Some employers may require a university science degree for specialized medical laboratory technologists.